


Sons of Magnolia

by CapAleran2



Category: Fairy Tail, Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Angst, Drama, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Gangs, Guns, Illegal Activities, Oral Sex, Romance, Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy, Violence, mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-01-18 13:32:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12389091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapAleran2/pseuds/CapAleran2
Summary: Gajeel is in a motorcycle club called Sons of Magnolia. Levy is his ex-girlfriend and together they share a young daughter. Levy is against bringing Melina to the club to see her father as there are many dangers being associated with it, but their romantic feelings for each other haven't changed. Gajeel soon gets caught up in a dispute between the club and a rival charter in an illegal gun trade, and the Sons prepare for a war where no one is safe.I do not own any of the pictures or other media.I do not own any of Fairy Tail or Sons of Anarchy - that's all Hiro Mashima and the creators of SOA.





	1. Chapter 1

The unmistakable roar of mufflers increased in volume with every passing second. Towners knew when the boys in black rode, as they were unmistakable in their chapter vests. When they took to the blacktop, there was business to attend. Their presence within the small town usually kept the peace.

Usually.

Gajeel heard them as they arrived, slowing down when they entered into the lot. He strode out from the auto shop office the club owned. The men that had become his friends backed their chrome-rimmed rides into the angled parking spaces designed with their bikes in mind.

In his standard-issue black cut with the thick boots to match, Gajeel took a few last drags from the cigarette in his fingers. He raised his head in a swift incline as he approached one of the club members. The scruffy-looking man's lip went up at one corner and took Gajeel's outstretched arm in his own in greeting.

"Didn't think you'd be back this soon," Gajeel commented, blowing the smoke out with his words. Squinting in the sunlight, he nodded towards the others now leaving their shiny bikes to head indoors. "Everything alright?"

"Yeh, ol' man Makarov beat us to the site, made room for us ta deal with it quickly."

"No cops?"

The man looked about as relaxed as he'd ever been after a business run. He took his tobacco can out of his back pocket, gave it a good flick before twisting the lid off to pinch some of it out. "Nah, ya know Makarov."

Gajeel threw down the used up cigarette and squished it with the toe of his boot. He did know the old man. The police officer had become friends with their club president many years prior. The two men took different routes in life, but saw no reason to destroy the friendship. In exchange for unofficially helping the department in peacekeeping -however in unconventional ways- the Sons did no harm to anyone unless provoked or if others were harmed.

Of course, only the involved knew about the arrangement.

"The old geezer's finding new an' improved ways ta keep the rest of the pigs off our bahcks," Chibs said, his Scottish accent mixing in. He stuffed a small pinch of the snuff in between his gums and lower lip.

"Do I even wanna know?" Gajeel asked with a grin.

Chibs' quick rolling chuckle answered him, along with a "you'll find out sometime" and he clapped a hand on Gajeel's shoulder before the two made their way inside the club.

Despite the sunshine and warm day, the inside of the clubhouse was dark and dank. The air was thick with swirls of cigarette smoke. Club members hung out on the leather couches drinking in the middle of the day. The clack of the cue ball smacking into the colored ones at the pool tables added to the atmosphere until someone increased the radio volume.

Chibs immediately headed for the kitchen, leaving Gajeel at the door. He saw a few of the guys had lady friends present; they rose from one of the couches to make their way to the back rooms for a bit of privacy. For the most part, the club did what it wanted. There were no specific rules -most were common sense and self-explanatory- other than keeping dicks out of another's old lady, protecting the club's reputation, its members, and their families, and most importantly: if you get taken downtown, don't ever become a rat.

A woman strode out of the office towards him. Her dark, blond-streaked hair was pulled back with a clip. The curls swooped over her shoulder and into the hollow of her collarbone. She smiled at Gajeel, stopping on her way outside. "Have you been to see Melina? I never get to see my granddaughter anymore," she said nonchalantly, ending with a noise made with her tongue. She put her weight on one stiletto heel and crossed her arms as she stood there.

"Hello to you too, Ma," Gajeel sarcastically. He frowned at her words.

He was just as frustrated with the situation as she was.

Things were a little rocky with Melina's mother. Not the best, but not for worse either. Levy had been deeply drawn to him when they were teenagers. The love and attraction had never fully gone away for either of them in the years since. He knew Levy loved him, but his affiliations with The Sons put a huge strain on their relationship. If it wasn't for their three-year-old daughter, Gajeel doubted Levy would have stayed.

"Have you called her recently?"

The frown on Gajeel's face as he stared down at her told her what she needed to know. She shifted her weight and roughly punched his shoulder with her fist, scowling. "Dammit Gajeel, she's never going to want to come around if you don't take initiative!"

"She doesn't want Melina exposed to the atmosphere," Gajee roughly bit back. "I can't exactly blame her, Gemma. She was raised differently, this all makes her skittish."

She hated when her son called her by her first name. Giving him a level look, she puckered her lips before stating, "I don't fucking care. Call her, get in touch. I want to see my grandchild."

With that she left, pulling her sunglasses down onto her face before pushing open the main door to the elaborate clubhouse. Even though his late father's old lady was a pain in the ass, Gajeel knew she was right. It had been several weeks since he had seen Melina. He loved his little girl's mama with his whole heart, but she had kept the both of them away for "safety".

Calling her might not work; she screened her calls, ignoring his most of the time.

Though he had a better idea.

The roar of his Harley silenced as he killed it on the curb of Levy's drive. Her yard looked well-cared for, aside from the few toys near the front of the house. Walking up the porch steps, he saw her neighbor sweeping off her own. The old woman gave him a glare, narrowing her eyes.

He remembered he still wore his black cut, which declared his involvement in The Sons with the different patches sewn onto it. It must have given him away. He knocked on the door and waited. A muffled voice was heard and then the white door swung inwards to reveal his favorite bluenette. In her arms was Melina. She stared up at him with the same eyes she had inherited from his side of the gene pool.

"Gajeel? What are you doing here?" his ex asked in surprise, looking around to see if there were any others from the club who had come. Her hazel eyes returned to him, settling on his handsome features.

"It's just me."He noticed her pupils dilated as she gazed at him.

"Daddy!" Melina cried happily after he spoke. She jumped against Levy's arms and stretched out towards the familiar man.

He took the girl into his arms with a rough smile. "Hey there, pipsqueak."

Levy watched him with their child as she pulled the front door shut and joined him on the porch. She caught her elderly neighbor staring at them with strong disapproval and gave her a nervous smile. The woman had expressed in the past how much she didn't agree with allowing the club to function. It caused "too much disorder".

Levy didn't think so. If anything, the club cared more about its own than fighting with other clubs in the area. Still, the only reason she kept her distance was because they had created Melina. Her daughter was everything to her.

Gajeel tucked Melina into his arm against the side of his chest. Her little arms wound around his neck and she laid her head on his shoulder, tucking her face into him near his jaw. He kissed the side of her head as he sat down in the chair next to the door.

"Is everything ok?" Levy spoke up, watching the two of them.

"Yea. I don't have to have a reason to see my daughter, do I?"

Levy crossed her arms over her chest.

Seeing the two of them together warmed her heart. Melina constantly asked her -every day- when her daddy would be coming to play with her. And she always told her he was out working. Part of her felt guilty for doing that. Gajeel was her father and Levy knew that he loved them both immensely. On his own, he was everything she wanted in a man. But with the club… she held him at a distance.

Once accepted into the club, it becomes your life. There was no leaving.

When she didn't reply, he shifted his red eyes up to her. "How're you doing?"

"Um, good," Levy said and leaned against the porch railing. "Melina's good too."

Gajeel could tell there was something bothering the woman. "Levy, I've known you for a long time. What's wrong?" He gently pressed.

She rolled her eyes, knowing that the man wouldn't let up until she told him. "My sitter canceled on me tonight, so I don't have anyone to watch Melina for my shift. She had called before you showed up."

"Is that it?" It didn't seem like that big of a problem to him.

"Gajeel," she huffed. "It's a big deal for me. I will probably have call in."

"Why not ask Mrs. Snoop over there?" He threw a thumb in the direction of the old neighbor, who was still out on her porch. She held a broom in her hand, but her sweeping had stopped as she observed them. He guessed she was trying to hear their conversation.

"She's almost eighty-five, I can't do that to her. Melina is a handful."

He looked down at his daughter, who had turned on his lap to face the front yard and bounce on his knee. The statement was out before he could hold back his words, "Why not let me watch her."

Levy's answer was almost simultaneous. She shook her head. "No."

"Why not?" He asked, his voice slightly raising. "I never get to see her 'cause you won't come around the clubhouse. You know the guys view you as family. They always will."

"No, Gajeel. I don't like the environment that she'd be around."

"She's not a baby anymore, Lev. She doesn't need constant protection from-"

Levy's large eyes narrowed and she cut him off, her tone clipped. "I don't want her at the clubhouse."

Gajeel nodded. The two of them hadn't always agreed on certain things. Their headbutting matches had been something to see. In a way, he liked that she still held some spice. He narrowed his eyes at her, taking a guess. "You don't want her around my mother. Is that it?"

Rolling her eyes, Levy moved towards him and reached out to take Melina from his arms. As much as he hated it, he let her for the sake of the three-year-old's happiness and view of him. Gajeel was right behind her as she opened the front door. He stopped the door with his boot from shutting in his face.

Leaning his face close to the opening, he spoke low, "What are you gonna do? Run away from something because you don't like the answer?"

Levy's already sour expression turned darker with a scowl. She tried to shut the door in on him, but he pushed the door open to allow himself in. The bluenette relented but quickly left him alone the front room.

Melina smiled and waved to him as her mother took her into the kitchen. Slowly, Gajeel strolled in after her. It had been a while since he'd been in the house. It seemed the same, even smelled the same with the scented candles she always bought.

His gaze landed on the living room floor at the toys scattered in a mess. Some picture frames hung on the wall in the short hall. Mostly of Melina, a few of Levy and Melina. Gajeel saw one of the three of them back when Melina had turned one.

Back when they were happy.

When he rounded the corner, he allowed himself to really look at his ex-girlfriend, who now stood in the small kitchen.

She really hadn't changed much at all in the years that he'd known her and after she had broken their relationship. She was still slim, though she had a bit of a stomach from her pregnancy. Her hips had widened from that as well. Her blue waves were still wispy with the headbands she preferred to wear. It made her look innocent. He made a sound with his mouth.

Her eyes flickered up from her daughter to the relaxed man leaning a shoulder against the door frame.

Gajeel smirked; Levy still held him in awe whenever she saw him. He watched as she gave Melina a small plastic bowl of goldfish crackers. The little girl's hands shifted, almost dumping the contents to the floor.

"Honey, don't spill them," Levy cooed as she righted the bowl in her daughter's hand.

Melina stopped next to Gajeel on her way out to the living room, holding up a small cracker for him. He straightened to lean to her and accepted it with a smile. "Thank you, little darlin'."

Both of her parents' eyes casually followed her as she padded out of the room. Levy noticed Gajeel was still watching. He used to gaze at her like that. And at moments, she could swear that he still did. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to close her eyes. While she put away the cracker box, she felt a strong presence behind her.

"It's really good to see you, Lev," Gajeel murmured. His voice was close to her ear and it vibrated into her, causing cold chills to appear on her skin.

"Please don't." She closed the cabinet and turned in place. A small gasp loosed from her mouth as the close proximity of her ex-boyfriend surprised her. His chest was a few inches from her face.

"Don't what?" his voice rumbled, like the distant hum of a thunderstorm.

That smirk of his. It was distracting. She could feel the embers smoldering inside her chest. Levy stared up at him, aware that he was leaning down towards her. She placed her hands on the countertop behind her while he did the same, effectively blocking her in. She could feel his breath on her lips as he towered over her, slowly closing in.

"G-Gajeel, this is not a good idea," she breathed. She glanced between his eyes and mouth. "We're not together anymore,"

"What if I want to be?" He whispered close to her face, red eyes intently switching from hers to her glossed lips before gazing into her eyes once again.

Swallowing, Levy understood where his mind was going. She had broken it off with him simply to keep Melina safe. Gajeel was affiliated with something akin to a gang. Accidents happened. If another club decided they wanted to fuck with The Sons or anyone associated with them, Levy and Melina could be potential targets just like the rest of them.

It didn't mean that Levy didn't love Gajeel. Her ex came up in her thoughts every day.

She remained still as he closed the gap between them, watching his mouth approach hers. His lips gently pushed against her. They were warm and inviting and familiar. The memory of all those years they had dated and spent together rushed in like a flash flood. All of the sex they had had, the night Melina had been conceived. It all swirled around in her mind like a hurricane.

Gajeel slowly deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue onto her bottom lip to open her mouth, then slipped himself inside when she let him. A chapstick flavor mingled in with their breath. A faint moan from him. Their tongues collided and the sensation took her breath away.

A tiny moan hummed in her throat and she found her hands had cautiously attached themselves to Gajeel's black vest at his sides. He made a guttural grunt when her fingers briefly tighten on his loins, and his current ministrations became more desperate.

He squished her in between himself the counter. His erection was growing by the second from the feeling of the familiar woman's hips, her taste, her smell. The slight bulge in his jeans pressed into her stomach at the same time that he helped himself to squeeze a handful of her ass. It caused her arousal to deepen.

Levy abruptly broke the liplock with a head shake. She swallowed and opened her eyes to give him a tentative gaze. "We can't-"

"Of course we can…" His low voice oozed with desire as he stared half-lidded into her hazel-rimmed orbs. He could see she wanted more of him.

"Melina's in there," she whispered. She tried to move away from him, but his muscular arms were anchored in place, firmly keeping her in front of him. She gripped his rock-hard forearms. "Gajeel."

He matched her with a whisper of his own, bringing his lips to her neck below her ear, "She's too young to know what's going on if she sees." He kissed her skin.

A shiver ran down her body at his tone. It increased her sexual desire listening to his words, in hearing words whispered in such a manner. As much as she wanted to reconnect with him - in more ways than one- she shook her head. "What if she needs me and I-I'm, I'm not dressed? And with a man?"

His eyebrow arched. "Who is her father. I don't see a problem."

Her eyes pleaded with him, placing her hand on his black club cut over his name patch. "Another time."

Pursing his lips, Gajeel straightened and backed away from her, letting her leave the pocket he had had her held in. She left the room to check on Melina, also leaving him readjusting his erection to better fit inside his jeans until it went away.

When he appeared in the hallway, he saw the girl was giggling at the cartoons on the television screen.

"Mommy, look!" she exclaimed and pointed at her favorite character.

"Yes, I see! Are you done with your snack?" Levy spotted the abandoned bowl with a few crackers left untouched.

Melina nodded without looking away from the show.

"What?" Levy questioned when she passed by Gajeel.

He followed her back into the kitchen and leaned his backside on the counter next to the fridge. There was a smirk on his face. "Another time, huh."

When she didn't say anything in response, Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest. The motion was not lost on Levy; it made his arms look iron strong, and memories sprang to her mind. Memories that her placed snuggly in those arms.

"Levy."

His baritone voice simply speaking her name caused her to turn from the stove to face him. She couldn't tell from his expressions what he was thinking. The man looked neither angry nor disappointed as he gazed lovingly at her.

"I still love you. You can't expect any different."

She didn't know what to say. Part of her felt guilty. She was the one who had broken it off. Had that been the right decision? A better question to ask was did she still love him -the man that fathered her child- despite his affiliations?

"I-I know…" Levy quietly replied. She dropped her gaze to stare at the floor.

In a matter of seconds, large hands enveloped her and pulled her in. Gajeel smelled the same to her. He sounded the same, spoke the same. He made her feel special. Levy felt the same as she had when they had first gotten together. That she was his one and only, the most beautiful, precious woman he had ever seen.

And as much as she hadn't wanted to admit it, she had missed that feeling. Her feelings had just been reaffirmed when he kissed her. Being with him felt right.

"What time are you off work tonight?" he asked.

"Eleven. I have to go in in an hour. Why?"

He didn't move, only savored her touch, the smooth skin of hers in his arms. How it used to be. How it still could be.

"You want to know what I think?"

Her voice was slightly muffled by his shirt. "Yes."

Gajeel kissed her hair, then spoke into it. "I think you should let me stay here with Melina while you go to work. Just for tonight since I'm already here. And we'll work on finding you a backup sitter in case this happens again."

His idea was a good one. She didn't particularly like it, but it was all she had at the moment. She supposed she should be grateful that the man she still loved had out of the blue dropped by. That was how it was with the Sons before Melina was born; the unconventional men had gone out of their way to help her in any situation simply because she had become Gajeel's long-time girlfriend. One call was all it had taken to get the assistance she had needed, big or small. It was a great perk, but it also came with a very great danger.

Once she had found out she was pregnant, Levy had decided to ultimately cut ties with them, and it also meant she'd have to break it off with Gajeel. She hadn't wanted to put their baby accidentally in harm's way by association.

"O-ok… but aren't you a bit rusty with children?" Levy squinted up at him.

She hadn't meant for it to be funny, but he had to chuckle. It wasn't entirely her fault; he had had every right to come see them, he just hadn't. He had wanted to give them space. Until today, he had been convinced he had made the right choice. The time away certainly did not make him forget his desire for Levy in every way.

His hands fell away from her and he grinned. He turned to head for the living room so she could get ready for work. Before exiting the kitchen, he gave her one of his smoldering glances, his eyes speaking volumes more than what he uttered. "I'll let you know after your shift."


	2. Chapter 2

The urge to light a cigarette rose inside of Gajeel.

His eyes dropped from the tv screen to the clock on the DVD player. There was roughly still fifteen minutes left before Levy would be home. He wouldn't dare smoke one in the house, especially with his daughter asleep on his lap. He smoothed out her black strands as she continued undisturbed.

Gajeel didn't stop his lips from sliding upwards as he watched her breathe. He had missed the first years of her life. He didn't blame her mother, it was understandable. The club was a dangerous one. He just wished she could have been there to watch his kid grow from a baby. Adjusting Melina's blanket, he tucked it up under her chin.

The urge came again. His next cigarette would have to wait.

His phone vibrated against the couch cushion. It took him a little longer to retrieve it from his pocket with a three-year-old holding him down. "Yea, Laxus."

His friend answered. " _Hey, man. There's some trade shit goin' down at the bunker tonight, I thought you were comin'._ "

"Change of plans. I'm held up. I dunno when I'll be back," Gajeel quickly sighed. He threw his head back, talking softly as to not wake Melina. "Can you and the others handle it?"

" _It's a simple trade. We're already here and waiting. They ain't here yet._ "

"Yea, well, there's nothing simple about this, bro," Gajeel glanced at the clock again.

They were dealing with some savage members of the Mayans. They only did business with the Sons when it benefitted them in some way or another. "Let me know how it goes down. And be careful. Those shithead bastards are real pieces of work. They'll fuck you over ten ways to Sunday. Then we'll really be up shit's creek."

" _Ten-four. Tig and Sting are just down the ridge in case the trade goes south._ "

"If they get pissy, give them the discount on ammo. They'll ask for piercing rounds-" The sound of an engine outside caught his attention. It must have been Levy. She would definitely not appreciate him using her quiet home as a place to communicate to the other club members. "Listen, I gotta go. Don't fuck it up, Lax."

" _When do I ever._ " Laxus' voice disappeared when he ended the call.

He decided to let Levy let herself in with her key. The only light in the house was the lamp by the door. In the slim case that it wasn't Levy, he had his small Walther P22 tucked away inside his jeans.

Levy quietly walked in, knowing her daughter wouldn't have been able to stay away as late as it was. She took a deep breath. "Hey. Has everything been ok?" she asked as she hung her purse on the coat rack.

Gajeel nodded. His arms were thrown over the top of the couch, their daughter asleep enclosed in a pink blanket on him. He watched her as she took off her work shirt and leaving the white tank top she wore under it.

Walking over to them, Levy leaned over to look at Melina. She gently brushed her lips over her small forehead. "How was she?" she questioned without looking at him.

With some effort, he tore his gaze from the swell of her breasts. "She was good. A little fussy when she was getting tired."

Levy didn't seem to notice the way Gajeel eyed her. Her attention was on the little girl. "Well, I'm glad she behaved. I'm sure she loved having a new babysitter for a change."

She silently watched as her ex carefully picked up the sleeping toddler. He followed Levy to Melina's pink bedroom and tucked her into her bed. Gajeel was gentle and loving, kissing the top of the little girl's head and whispering the words 'I love you'. The sight warmed Levy from the inside out and was very grateful for his help. She felt her lips slide up at the corners.

Once Levy poured her goodnights onto her daughter, both parents quietly left the room, leaving the door cracked just a little bit. Gajeel moved to the front door, patting down his black cut with his palm looking for his pack of cigarettes.

"Are you leaving?" Levy asked. She stood by the hall entrance with her arms tightly crossed over her chest. From the look on her face, Gajeel could have sworn she looked disappointed.

"Nah, gonna smoke."

The time was twenty till midnight. The trade was supposed to have happened at 11:30. Gajeel knew it was too early to expect a call. He hoped the deal went smoothly, but a deal organized by something akin to the mafia rarely ever went according to plan. He shook his head as the thought crossed his mind.

Ten minutes later, Gajeel came back inside and switched off the porch light. He looked for his ex in the front room and kitchen but didn't see her. He was aware he smelled of smoke, his clothing and his breath. Stopping in the middle of the kitchen, he took a guess where she kept the drinking glasses.

More memories came back to him of when they both lived here, before Melina, and a little after. He had guessed right. A smirk appeared as his memories overtook him for a brief time. For a moment, he wasn't in the club. He wasn't Levy's ex-boyfriend. He wasn't even a father. He was simply, happily living with his girlfriend and working at the auto shop.

Before things got complicated. Before incarceration, injury or death could occur at any point in the day.

As he filled his glass with water from the faucet, Gajeel was snapped into reality. The memories were still there, though faint. A sweet, womanly presence was felt at his back, causing him to turn. He noticed she wore black sofee shorts and a different tank top. A stirring iced his core when he saw she wore no bra.

Levy gazed at him. Her expression was neutral, her inner Levy was confused. She didn't know what to feel upon seeing Gajeel in her kitchen nearing midnight. His tall, muscular form was slightly hunched, his shorter black hair in a messy mop on his head needed a good combing. His voice, the way his red eyes were always piercing. Everything that was Gajeel appealed to her.

He set down the glass. "How was work?"

His words broke her haze. Levy took a breath to reply. "It was alright. Not as busy in the last half than the first."

"Well, it's midnight at a gas station," he snorted. "Not a lot of people out."

Levy twisted her lips. "Except for the club."

He pursed his lips at her statement. He didn't particularly want to think about the club. Not while he was with her. She was a break from club business. He said plainly, "Sure."

From her body language, Gajeel could see she didn't know what to do or say. Her eyes flickered to the floor whenever she saw that he was looking directly at her. It was something he had liked about her. Those submissive qualities had made for some interesting times in their past. But there had also been times -when it was called for- where she was certainly not.

She could be a vicious wolverine.

And he was pleased to see that she stood her ground when he began to tread towards her. The submissiveness in her hazel doe eyes was still present when he looked into them. He planted his feet and found himself towering over her. "Are you tired?" he asked.

"No."

Laying one hand on the back of her neck and the other on her hip, Gajeel bent his head around and tenderly pressed his mouth to hers. She had applied more of the scented chapstick after changing. His lips glided over her glossy ones, prompting her to open them wider.

He slowly pulled her body closer to his, his hand tightening on her curvy hip. When her lips parted, he took full advantage, dipping his tongue into the warm cavern, sliding it over hers. It had been a long while -excluding earlier in the day- that he'd felt his ex in the way he wanted. His dick began to throb as blood rushed to it. Gajeel needed her.

A small inadvertent moan escaped his throat at the growing sensations. He found her hands had wrapped around his waist and were now sliding up under his white t-shirt to feel the defined muscles. That made his erection grow further. It pressed uncomfortably against the front of his jeans.

"Levy…" Her name swiftly rushed out of his mouth in a murmur when he had the second to take in air, the only thing he could think to say. She was the only thing on his mind.

She deepened the kiss. Gajeel followed suit, pressing himself into her as far as he could. Their breathing quickened against one another. When he heard her muted moan, he roughly picked her up, pushing her to his waist with his hand on her round, plump ass.

Levy didn't object. She said nothing when she felt the cold fridge doors on her backside, only taking her arms out from under his shirt to wrap them around his neck. The two of them willingly forgot their relationship issues, the club issues, and focused their minds on each other and the potential pleasure that could soon erupt.

Another soft moan slipped from her open mouth as Gajeel quickly slid his hand up her tank to grasp her left breast in his palm. The action heightened the heated arousal for each as he squeezed the mound of flesh. He tore his lips away from hers long enough to say in a rough murmur, "God damn, Lev."

She smiled and ran a hand up into his hair and gently tugged, eliciting a deeper carnal desire out of him. Gajeel's grip on her tensed. He shifted her weight from the fridge to combine with his and headed towards the back bedroom, the one he remembered as their room.

"We have to be quiet," Levy whispered into his ear. She flicked her tongue onto the skin around his ear. Gajeel pleasantly shivered while he kissed her neck. He highly doubted she could be quiet. Not where he was concerned.

Once he entered her bedroom, Gajeel shuffled the last steps to the unmade bed and lowered them both in between the sheets. He kicked off his boots and ripped off his black cut, throwing the charter's vest to the floor. He attached his lips to hers once again, only to break the connection when he pulled the tank top over her head.

His eyes grazed over the naked mounds before thrusting his tongue back into the warmth of Levy's mouth. He rolled one of the pert, pink nipples in his fingers, then held the breast in his hand to give it a squeeze. She moaned into his mouth with closed eyes.

The warmth from his face disappeared. When she opened her eyes, Gajeel was pulling his t-shirt over his head, revealing a perfect torso of chiseled physique that wetted her core even more than it had from the growing passion between them. He hurriedly unzipped his jeans and began to tug them down.

"Gajeel, is that a gun?!" Levy hissed, trying to keep from throwing her voice across the room and out the hall. She eyed the black metal nestled between his boxers and pants.

"Don't worry about it," he countered gruffly. The sexual tension had crept into his voice, making it deep and rushed.

"I don't want that loaded in here."

There was a sharp intake of breath above her. His hands left the zipper next to his massive erection and reached for the Walther at his hip. He released the full mag from the bottom of the handle and tugged back the top slide with a jerk. A small golden round popped out of the slot and fell to the sheets. Tossing the now harmless weapon to the mattress, Gajeel returned his attention to Levy. "There. Unloaded," he said thickly.

Before she could say anything else about it, he had the rest of his clothes on the floor. He hovered over her and wrenched off the black shorts. He eyed the pink, lacy panties that guarded her by now slick vagina. It had been a while since he'd been down there. He was pleased to know she kept up the care as she had way back when.

He reached up and pulled the pink cloth down her legs and onto the floor, leaving them both naked and dripping with tangible need. His hand slid down from her knee to the side of her leg below her hip as he lowered and pressed his body onto her.

The bluenette spread her legs wider. Her hips rolled up to his hips. She wrapped an arm around his neck, tangling her hand in his black hair. "Gajeel…" she panted, breaking their kiss. Her half-lidded gaze and sensual moaning nearly made him rush their love-making.

Instead, Gajeel gave her one last hard kiss and moved his mouth from hers to her wet slit. If he learned anything over the years, it was to let the woman get close and off first. All of that pent-up passion with no climax. It made the sex better in the end for both of them. And it was probably how they ended up with Melina.

Squeezing her hips, he began to eat full force at her soaked slit.

Levy's eyes shot open when his mouth enclosed her. She moaned, tangling her fingers in the black strands between her legs. Her hips automatically rose up and down as Gajeel did work, lapping and sucking her pussy. The tip of his tongue scooped up her seeping juices and circled it around her clitoris. Another round of intense moaning flew from her throat, her hips rocking into his face.

He grunted, and the vibrations tickled her. She began to shake as he flicked the pink nub over and over, ending with gentle nibbles that threatened to be the end of her. When he backed away to look at her, she was sopping, glistening with the mingled liquid of herself and his saliva.

"N-no, please don't stop," Levy groaned. Her fingers sought out her clit in an attempt to finish what he had started.

Gajeel's dick was fully hardened now, and the sight of Levy playing with herself… he pursed his lips. He was tempted to just watch her fingers enter up into her opening and squish into her liquid now very clearly visible, but the sexual tension and his need to fuck her overwhelmed his willpower.

He stroked himself once as he spread her legs again. Guiding the tip in to replace her fingers, Gajeel entered her. The thick shaft easily slipped inside about half way on its own thanks to how fucking wet Levy had become since they entered the bedroom. They let out moans and sighs together, both reacting to the heavenly sensation of interconnecting.

With his arms on either side of her, Gajeel adjusted himself between her legs and moved his hips forward and up into her.

Levy's moans increased in volume each time he hit her spot. "Ah, ah, ahh…"

Her reactions in his ear caused him to shudder. Her inner walls contracted around him, and immediately he began thrusting harder and faster. "Fuck, fuck, ah," he grunted. His lips smashed between her jaw and neck, silencing further sounds as he kissed and sucked at her skin.

"Oh, ohh, Ga-" Levy all but cried as he shoved himself inside as far as their bodies would allow. "Don't st-stop!"

He could feel his head hit her walls with force, each time feeling himself getting closer. Taking a deep breath, Gajeel focused his efforts. He put his weight on his elbows. He craned his head around to find Levy's mouth and kissed her. He then kissed her chin, watching her try to keep her eyes open to gaze into his red ones.

"God damn, baby," he quickly grunted. His gaze shifted from her face to her jiggling breasts and the curvy bits of her hips that shook every time his narrow hips hit against hers. The sound of their bodies smacking together added to the surroundings. "You're so fuckin' beautiful."

His hand cupped the top of her head, intertwining his fingers in her blue wisps. He lightly tugged on them while still keeping up the fast pace, and the moan in her throat deepened.

"I-I'm so close," she barely managed to croak. She wrapped her legs around his waist, squeezing him to herself.

Her ex-boyfriend growled and quickened the thrusts, pounding his shaft repeatedly into her as if his life depended on it. Sweat rolled off their bodies. Heat from the friction rose from them, and the smell of sex was heavy in the air.

He felt her shift, and a sharp guttural cry escaped her lips. Levy tensed as her orgasm overtook her. "Gahh-!"

Gajeel never slowed down in his ministrations. He continued for her to ride out the pleasure in the haze of her climax. Her body tensed again when he did. There was a brief pause in his thrusting and a grunt when the initial sensation began. He rocked into her as he came, intermittently groaning into the pillow next to her ear.

A few more weak rams into her and Gajeel went limp, laying on her after he emptied himself. He kept some of the weight off of her as not to crush the air from her lungs. They could only hear their rough breathing and the beats of their own racing heartbeats.

Studying her face, Gajeel smirked. His breath was still rushed from blowing his load in her. "You were loud, Sweetheart," he commented smugly.

"I-I was not…" Levy weakly argued. She knew he was right. Sex made her quiet personality turn boisterous.

His thumb rubbed her cheek. "It's not a bad thing."

"It will be if Melina wakes up because of it."

"Oh no, her mother and father lying naked together," he sarcastically declared. His thumb smoothed her skin again.

Levy gave him a look at his remark but leaned into his touch. Their eyes met. It was like they both understood one another, all secrets and embarrassment out in the open. She saw the love radiating from him, saw his eyes change. He didn't need to say a word; she saw it all conveyed in his eyes, the conversation that never was, yet will always be the connection between them.

She saw their daughter in him. Her hair and eye colors. And she realized it had been a terrible mistake to end things with the man. Because she loved him. She loved him with her whole being. And then she remembered Melina.

"I need to check on her," she said.

"Stay. I'll do it."

Gajeel promptly dislodged himself from within her. He stood up, ignoring Levy's weak protest. He left the room after covering her with the sheet they had had sex upon.

He silently crossed the hall. From the bed, Levy could see his bare backside slowly peer around Melina's bedroom door. The little girl hadn't moved from the position he had last seen her in, fast asleep.

Gajeel returned to the bed, fully aware that his ex was staring at his front appendage. "Our daughter is still sound asleep."

"Our daughter," Levy repeated. She fought the smile at his words. She had waited a long time for him to say that. If tonight hadn't happened, she feared she wouldn't ever have.

He was about to climb in under the sheet behind her when his phone began to ring. "Shit," he murmured. He had forgotten he had told Laxus to call him after the trade.

"Yea," he answered when he picked the phone out of his jeans. He heard Laxus' voice.

" _Trade went. They kicked up a load of shit. We're almost to the clubhouse._ "

He frowned and glanced to Levy as he listened. He saw the concern on her face the instant he did. And he felt guilty. She shouldn't have to hear. The living room would be a better place for him to talk.

His ex didn't move when he left the room, lying still in the bed where she had been the entire time. Striding through the house, Gajeel finally answered his friend, keeping his voice low. "What happened?"

" _They gave us forty grand for the crate of semis with bump triggers and modified stocks. Chibs told him they were blatantly undercutting us._ "

"And?"

" _And they gave ten more._ "

"So fifty G's for the whole damn lot," Gajeel growled. "It was supposed to be fuckin' sixty, plus fifteen for the mods! What the hell were they thinking?!" He tried to keep his voice down.

" _Chibs let it slide, he didn't know what else to do. They brought twelve of their guys. There was only the three of us. And I doubt if Tig and Sting joined the fight that all five of us would be alive, man._ "

Gajeel tried to calm himself, breathing through his nose. "Dammit… what did Clay say?"

Laxus paused and blew out a breath. " _He saw it as a slap in the fuckin' face, same as everyone else. They're gonna start a war if they don't amend their mistake. He gave them a week to produce the money. or give back the guns. We're out twenty-five on this deal. Gajeel. If they don't deliver in good faith, we just gave our rival the means to end us all. They double-crossed the Sons._ "

Gajeel couldn't contain himself. He balled his fist and punched the top of the recliner twice. "Goddammit!" he loudly swore.

" _Where you at? I thought you'd be back,_ " Laxus said, insinuating that they had made it back to the clubhouse.

He shook his head, trying hard to calm himself. "I'm gonna be away for the night unless you need me back right now."

" _You're good. I'm just letting you know what went down like you asked. I'd stay low for a while until this blows over._ "

"If it does," Gajeel snorted. "We've got good relations with the Sabers. We can see if they'll back us with loaned gunmetal if all else fails. Pass it along to Clay."

" _Will do._ "

He ended the call and stared at the home screen. A baby Melina held by a smiling Levy stared back. He fought the urge to throw the device across the room.

"Shit! Shit," he hissed.

His life just got a whole lot more complicated. And it indirectly threatened his family. It threatened everything. The Sons had labored for good relations will all the charters in the area. All of them agree to live in peace unless certain issues arose, except the Mayans.

The trade was an act of goodwill between them. The Sons' president, Clay, had contacted Marshall, the Mayan's president, and had set up the whole deal. It seemed as though Marshall had changed his mind and fucked over the whole of the area's clubs.

What a shitty thing to do.

Levy looked up from the pillow with worry when he strode into the room. "Is everything ok?"

"No," he snapped. "It's not."

He snatched the unloaded Walther from the bed and the magazine and shoved it in, effectively creating a hot weapon. He placed the phone and the loaded handgun on the nightstand beside him. He wanted to get back to the club, but it was 1 a.m. and he was tired.

The bluenette cautiously sat up, holding the bedsheet to her chest. She watched him expertly handle the firearm, cocking back the slide to arm the weapon. It made her uncomfortable. Especially with a young child in the house.

This type of thing she remembered was the reason she had left him in the first place.

Gajeel saw her expression. He sighed as he turned off the lamp before sliding into the bed. He wrapped an arm around her chest in an attempt to lay her back down alongside him. "I'm sorry, baby. Just a bad call."

"You didn't have to snap at me though."

She had a point. His temper could be too hot at times.

"I know. And I'm sorry," he said and kissed her temple.

Settling in behind her, he pressed his naked front into her plush backside. He wrapped an arm around her stomach. "Just a lot going on with the club."

Levy held up a hand before he got a chance to say more. "I don't want to know."

"Then let's go to sleep." He yawned before pushing his face into her neck.

Here in the same bed as the mother of his baby, Gajeel could put the worries of his life temporarily behind himself. At least long enough to not think about shit going wrong. He breathed in the scent of her blue hair and lovingly grazed her shoulder with his lips. Right now, this was the only place he wanted to be.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Bunker, six miles outside Magnolia** _

_**11:16 pm** _

_Ending the call he'd made to Gajeel, Laxus stuffed the phone into his jeans pocket and hurried to help drop the wooden weapons crate onto the concrete flooring. The lighting in the vast building was extremely poor, but the club preferred it that way even though it made things seem less legal than they already were._

_And there was something about doing business in a spotlight that seemed as though the police were watching, just waiting to bust their asses on multiple felony charges._

_"Geezes, this thick son of a bitch is heavy," Tig grunted as they pushed it off the skid loader. He, Sting, Chibs, and Laxus each pushed the full, waist-high box onto the flooring with evident effort._

_Gray pulled the skid loader out from under it and the crate slammed down the few inches to lay flat with a loud bang. It echoed through the empty bunker and then it left them with silence._

_"Are you sure this deal is a good idea? When have the Mayans ever been interested in dealing fairly with us? Or with anyone?" Sting asked. He checked his .9mm pistol, making sure there was a golden round in the chamber. Just in case._

_"It was put to a vote. We do what the club decides," Gray answered, giving him a look._

_"Yea, but black-market rifles? You know they're just gonna turn on us."_

_"_ Mahbe _, and mahbe not," Chibs chimed in with his two cents. He dusted off his hands on his black cut and straightened it out. "We'll deal with their_ bahck _-_ stabbin _' asses later if_ et _comes down to et."_

_Laxus listened to them as he stared at the wooden box. He wished Gajeel was here and not wherever else he was currently. Their Vice President had voted for the trade, alongside his stepfather, Clay. Even though they did not see eye to eye on this issue, Gajeel was still a smooth talker. He would be able to persuade them into anything._

_The blond had voted against the trade, but it wasn't enough to sway the outcome. Now minutes until the Mayan representatives would show to commence the meeting, and_ Laxus _was still feeling it in the pit of his stomach. "Would it have been better just to give these to the Sabers? Or keep them for ourselves?"_

_Gray turned to him. "Why? And then we wouldn't have a profit. What the hell are we gonna do with this many semis?"_

_"Look," Chibs began calmly in an attempt to end the bickering. He set his fist on the crate. "Clay_ seht _this up with good intentions. If et all goes ta hell_ en _the end, at least we tried to be civil. To keep up_ theh _club's reputation."_

_There was silence after the man spoke. They all looked around, unsure what to do while they waited for the Mayans. They tried to set their feelings aside, to keep their minds on the Sons' business._

_"Guys," Tig commented with crossed arms. He slowly shook his head. His nervous eyes sought out their faces. He said simply, "I don't like this."_

_The curly haired club member rarely ever questioned the decision-making results within the club, always followed what everyone else agreed upon. But sometimes he listened to his gut. And this was one of those rare times._

_"Well, there's no going back now. Just gotta ride this wave 'til it's over," Laxus replied. He ran his hand through his short blond hair as he tried to shake away the nerves._

_At 11:25, Tig and Sting left the bunker. The two headed for the treeline, up the hill behind the building. They wouldn't be able to see what went down, but they would hear it, thanks to the earpiece in Chibs' ear, connected wirelessly to the one in Tig's._

_The rest still at the bunker went outside to wait for the other half of the trade in the fresh air. Not until ten minutes later did they heard the distant humming roar of motorcycles._

_"Alright, let meh do the talking. Keep your hands from your cuts," Chibs announced. He knew the boys would be packing underneath their club vests and if the Mayans got suspicious of them, they could be mowed down without question._

_Lights started to brighten the trees that surrounded the building as the Mayans approached in the darkness. The boys went back inside and opened the sliding doors to reveal the interior. The roar grew louder until the bikes were in the gravel lot, followed by a huge truck in order to haul the heavy, illegal goods._

_"Can you hear meh?" he said easily, the question for Tig._

_"Loud and clear."_

_The roars suddenly silenced, the lights shutting off._

_11:38 p.m._

_Laxus' eyes shifted from the other gang members to his own standing near him. This trade could go down any path. Good or bad. None of them knew what would happen, and no doubt they all hoped it wasn't a bloodbath._

_The silhouettes of the men closing the distance entered the threshold. More men that what had been agreed upon. Their boots slowly clicked on the smooth concrete as they half surrounded the three Sons. A voice spoke up. "Well, well. The Sons have delivered_ then _."_

_Chibs struggled not to react to the blatant changes made. He unclenched his fists at his side. There was a tone in his voice he hoped wouldn't convey his displeasure too much. "Just like Clay had promised."_

_The Mayan who had spoken walked into the light from the only source in the building. His brown eyes scanned the room and then eyed the crate. He waved two fingers at the box, signaling two of his men. They took up the crowbars and pried open the wooden lid. The discarded lid made a hollow echoing sound as it crashed to the floor._

_One of them held up a shiny, black unloaded assault rifle, just one of many buried in paper shavings._

_"Is it all there?" The Mayan asked Chibs._

_"Yes."_

_"Can I trust the word of a Son?"_

_Chibs gave a firm nod. "Just_ ahsktheh _clubs in the surrounding area. The Sabers can vouch for our integrity."_

_The Mayan spat, a frown turning his expression. "The Sabers are shit. Too soft, they don't give a fuck what happens in their town. The cops have overrun it. Might as well disband the whole god damn charter. Which is what will happen to the Sons if they jump into bed with them."_

_Laxus cringed with the exchange. He glanced at Gray. The frown on the man's face was on the verge of turning into a scowl. Chibs bowed his head, trying to come up with something in return._

_"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. We aren't trying to pull_ anythang _over you, we just wanted ta keep_ theh _peace between our charters. A show of goodwill."_

_There was a chuckle. The Mayan who seemed to be the deal's lead gave Chibs a look. A smirk on his face. "Is Clay expecting a war or something? Or has he done something stupid and is now trying to make up for it?"_

_That caused Chibs to frown. "I have no fuckin' clue what you're talking_ abowt _. It's striving for good relations. That's it. We provide a service for cash in return. Both parties satisfied. Simple."_

 _"Simple…" the Mayan repeated. He walked up to the crate and reached in. He held up a rifle and looked into the small scope attached to the top_ on _the barrel. "If that is all this is. What's your price?"_

_"Sixty."_

_The man nonchalantly tossed the rifle back into the large box. "No."_

_"It's what Clay and Marshall agreed to," Chibs said with a shrug._

_"I'm not Marshall," the Mayan snapped. He turned to Chibs and leaned towards him. "You think you stand behind your President, doing your club and town a kind of service. I don't fucking bend to rules I feel are limiting. I make my own. Some decisions are better made yourself than following a list set by some dumbass with too much time on his hands."_

_The Scottish Son shook his head in disbelief. His tone was one of faux awe. "You're in_ ah _hurry ta die, aren't you. Have you ever heard of the word 'consequences'?"_

_The man smirked and it seemed as if he was preparing to sucker punch the Scotsman. Chibs stared back at him, unrelenting and unafraid of a fist to the face._

_From behind them,_ Laxus _tensed. He fought the urge to draw his pistol. Gray's fists were clenched. His shoulders were hunched, looking as though he were about to pounce._

_The Mayan finally opened his mouth to speak. "We're done here."_

_"You sure_ abowt _that?"_

_The man hesitated in leaving, straightening his back and staring him down. He stood a few inches taller than Chibs. The rest of his crew were relaxed, just waiting for their leader to give the word. The word to leave. Or draw weapons._

_He glanced to the crate the Sons had provided. "Forty," he stated. His tone was final._

_"That's an undercut."_

_"Forty."_

_"Fifty then. We can deal with ah ten grand loss."_

_The Mayan showed his teeth as his lips pulled back. "Forty. Plus ten for the mods. All of them."_

_Chibs flashed his teeth, careful to keep still as he threatened, "You dirty bastard. You know full an' well those mods are worth at least twenty-five on their own, not ta mention_ theh _separate attachments."_

_The man before him waved his hand and his crew began to pack up the crate to take it with them. He sneered. "Take it or leave it."_

_The Son risked a glance backward at the other two. There was no other choice. If they didn't accept the price, the Mayans would mark them as double-crossers. If they gave them the black market items as is and accepted the deal, the Mayans would mark them as weak and it could start something the Sons weren't prepared for in the least._

_It was a lose-lose all the way around._

_The blond rolled his blue eyes. His VP friend had been right; the shithead bastards had fucked them over. He watched as Chibs finally relented, backing away after giving the nod. His expression was disturbed, and Laxus saw the wheels in his head spinning._

_This wasn't good._

_Chibs put a hand discreetly to his ear as he glanced to the blond and to Gray behind him, no doubt enduring the never-ending curses that flew out of Tig's mouth as he and Sting listened in from afar._

_This was not good at all._

* * *

He awoke in a warm daze from the light in the window. For a moment, Gajeel was unsure where he was, other than in a bed with yellow sheets. He rolled over, sitting up on an elbow and blinked the sleep from his eyes.

Beside him Levy was still asleep. She had most of the sheets on her side, leaving him with a corner. Remembering what had occurred that night before they went to bed, Gajeel pursed his lips. Everything came back. The sex. The trade. And how one of those went down the shitter.

"Fuck," he snapped none too quietly, holding his head in his hand. There would be a lot of damage control in the days to come.

Taking a deep breath, he tilted his head back and opened his eyes.

A little girl stared up at him from the foot of the bed. She clutched the stuffed horse in her arm, hugging it tightly to her chest.

"Shi- crap," he muttered. He stared back at her, unsure what to do. Had she heard him drop the F-bomb?

He wasn't supposed to be there. He and Melina's mother weren't together. Last night was a fluke. There wasn't anything between the two of them anymore, aside from great sex and a daughter. If he was here too much and Melina thought it was her new normal, his certain absence from the house later on would confuse her. Gajeel didn't want that.

"Hi daddy," she stated. She rubbed her eye. "I'm hungry."

"Uh, ok." Shit, what to do. He turned to his ex.

She was oblivious to the situation, looking rather peaceful as she slept. He didn't particularly want to wake her, given it was late when they finished and went to bed. Levy took care of everything involving Melina on a day to day basis. What did he do to contribute? All he did was pay monthly installments for child support.

"Can I have cereal?" Melina asked innocently, breaking his chain of thought. She began to walk to his side of the bed.

"Uh, no. Stay right there," he said. The last thing he needed was his daughter climbing into the bed. Levy had told him she hadn't wanted her seeing them in bed together. Without clothes. "You go wait in the kitchen. Lemme get dressed and I'll get you breakfast."

Melina nodded and promptly padded out of the room to do what she was told.

Gajeel threw back his head one more time and sighed.

There was shit he needed to do. He needed to head back to the clubhouse so they could all try to fix the mess made with the Mayans. However, as much as he hadn't been there in the past, he had a family. His insides were beginning to tear in two. He felt constantly pulled towards the club and as well as towards Levy and Melina.

This would all be a whole lot easier if Levy would stop trying to stay away "for safety". Ironically, she'd be safer within the confines of the club.

Dressed in the same clothes he wore the night before -save for his cut- he shuffled into Levy's kitchen. Melina rushed to him, hopping as she did.

"Where's your ma keep the cereal?"

Her little hand gripped his and she guided him towards one end of the room. She let go of his hand to point up above the fridge. He saw three different kinds. The Cheerios were Levy's, without a doubt. They had always been her favorite.

"Red or blue box?" he asked.

"Red."

He took down the Fruity Pebbles and proceeded to gather all the necessary items to produce breakfast for his daughter. While she ate at the small table in the corner, he prepared the coffee maker and then waited the few minutes it took for it to brew.

He was mentally making a list of things to do once he left Levy's. His friends were also most likely trying to find his ass. They never jumped to conclusions, however wrong or right they were, but he didn't want to leave them all in the dark. Gajeel knew they would never think to look at his ex's place.

So wrapped up in his thoughts while he poured himself a cup of coffee, he jumped when he felt a different presence. He missed the cup, spilling a little of the hot liquid on the counter.

"Geezes, Levy," he breathed. He set the glass pot on the holder and wiped the spill with a nearby hand towel.

The bluenette had donned clothing before wandering through the house. Her shorts and tank top reminded him of last night. And then his stomach dropped. What were they doing? They weren't going to get back together, were they? It would ultimately be her decision. He wasn't going to force himself into her life.

He would admit though that getting back together with her was something he wanted.

He slowly received visible chills after she ran her hand down his arm. "I'm sorry. I woke up and you weren't in bed."

"Yea. Someone was hungry," he said and motioned to the other person in the room.

"Ahh.. Your daddy made you breakfast?" Levy said in an upbeat tone to Melina. "Is it good?"

"Uh-huh."

Gajeel caught Levy's eye and murmured, "She's a quiet little thing. Took me by surprise. And I think she heard me say 'fuck'."

Levy's expression changed to the mother side he saw in her most of the time. "Honey, you can't curse around a three-year-old. They repeat everything you say."

"I'm well aware," Gajeel said before taking a tiny sip of coffee. "It was an accident."

The man was also aware of what she had called him for a term of endearment. Whether it had been an accidental slip of the tongue or not, he wasn't going to tell her any different. He watched her walk away from him to open the fridge. His gaze lingered on her ass as he sipped his drink.

The tiny, delicious, irresistible woman clouded his mind.

"Thank you," she said suddenly. Her sweet voice was airy.

"For?"

Levy set a carton of orange juice on the counter. "Taking care of Melina this morning. You could have woke me to do that."

Gajeel waved it away with a shake of his head. She didn't have to thank him for that. He was her child's father.

"I-I was also hoping to talk to you," Levy said hesitantly. She paused before she poured the juice into a glass. Hazel eyes refused to look at him.

Deep down, Levy wanted Gajeel to stay. She wanted him around the house, she wanted him in her life. In Melina's life. She just didn't know how to get either of them to that point. He was a busy, important man. Would he want to add the two of them to his already full plate?

Setting down the cup, Gajeel asked, "About what?"

When she hesitated again, unsure of how to say she wanted him back, he let out a rough sigh. He had planned on heading out as soon as he could after seeing her that morning. "Baby, I got shit -I mean crap- to do today for the club," he amended, glancing at Melina. "Whatever you wanna talk about, I'm here now. But if not, it's almost 11am. The club'll be out looking for my body if I don't head out there soon."

Levy's heart sank. It was one of the worst things he could have said. Her eyes became hot as tears threatened her. She willed her voice not to waver in her reply. "It's nothing. You're right, you should go."

"Lev." He stepped towards her, angling his body directly behind her. His hands rested on either side of her hips. He hated when she went silent like that. It only meant that she was angry or sad. "Don't do that."

When she didn't oblige in a direct response, he firmly turned her around to face him. Seeing her eyes glisten with unshed tears made him mentally kick himself in the ass. Did he just now do that to her?

"Tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours," he gently prompted. Red eyes gazed down into hers, pleading. "I can't fix it if I don't know what you're thinking. If you won't tell me."

The night they spent together had been one of the best in a long time for him. All she needed to do was say the word and he'd give her everything he could. They'd get back together. He'd move back in. He'd finally be the father he had wanted to be. And eventually -hopefully- the kind of husband she could be proud of. The stubborn woman already had his heart.

He bent his head to kiss her, to evoke some reaction or words from her. Their lips fit perfectly to each other. There was some relief releasing weight off his shoulders when he felt her kiss him back with some strength. He opened his eyes to see a single tear falling down her cheek.

"Baby," he said, looking into her eyes.

His thumb brushed away the teardrop. She opened her eyes and another one fell, which he quickly caught.

The pain Gajeel inadvertently caused her was almost unbearable. Her heart broke knowing she'd always come second to the club. He could never fully be there for her unless she decided to come back. The decision, she realized, was hers and hers alone. She had to make the right one for not only herself but for her child.

Though now, she didn't know what to say. She did her best to give him a smile. "It's not important right now. Go do what you need to do, Gajeel. Then come back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, honey. Go."

His lips left their mark on her forehead, rubbing his hands down her bare arms. "Tonight."

Levy could only nod in answer. She swallowed when he said goodbye to Melina. There was a certain sort of happiness in his voice.

"I have to go to work now, but I'll be back tonight." He kissed the top of her black hair.

A large smile split Melina's face, followed by a squeal of delight. She looked up at him and asked innocently, "Are you gonna sleep with mommy again?"

Gajeel gave a small chuckle and shifted his eyes to Levy. She stared after him, the smile fading as she caught his gaze once again. Before he could turn to leave, she spoke up. "Please be careful."

He nodded, striding out of the kitchen to grab his cut, phone, and gun from the bedroom. He tried to slip out unnoticed through the front door, but as he reached it the phone in his hands started ringing.

He brought it to his ear, rolling his eyes and knowing who it was. "Yea, yea, I'm on my way."

His friend's voice barked at him from the other end. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I've had some personal business to take care of. Calm the fuck down. I'm leaving for the compound now," Gajeel casually replied. He opened the door and hurried out, careful not to slam the door behind him.

Through the kitchen window, Levy sipped at her glass of orange juice and watched the man she loved talk on the phone. He sat on his black and chrome bike, the device held up to his ear. She often wondered what all he had to deal with on a regular basis. Most of the time she knew the saying was true: what she didn't know, didn't hurt her. She was privy to only a few shady details if he ever cared to share. But she liked to be kept in the dark.

And when he didn't give her those morsels of info, that usually meant that Gajeel had been or would be put in harm's way.

The black-haired man put the phone away and started up the bike. The sudden, deep roar of the motor filled the yard. He quickly lit a cigarette and prepared the bike to leave. A few glances to the road and the roaring bike took off down the street, taking him along with it.

She soundlessly prayed that he be kept safe.

The last words barely registered audibly in her own ears. "Please come back to me."

* * *

He killed the motor when he parked his bike in the lot. He hopped off his ride, seeing the main door open. Gemma had one manicured hand to her chest as she walked out. There was a relieved expression on her face. She stopped once she saw her son and let Laxus stride out from behind her to meet him.

"Dude, where've you been?" The man asked.

"Personal business."

The blond's eyes narrowed. That wasn't the only time his friend had told him that over a twenty-four hour period. It was a woman. It had to have been. Gajeel wasn't the type of guy to not give them any notice if he was going to be out for the night, unaccounted for.

"Levy? You're still fuckin' Levy."

"Shut up." Gajeel neither confirmed nor denied it. He just kept walking.

Laxus nudged him with his arm. He was impressed that he had guessed right. "I'm not gonna give you any shit for it. She's a hot piece of ass-"

"You done yet?" Gajeel stopped to face him. He didn't mind when others called her sexy, but today was just not the day. His mother caught his eye by the door some feet away. It was as if she was waiting for him like a mother duck patiently waited for her ducklings to follow.

"What's goin' on?" He asked, switching from the topic of his choice in pussy to the genuine confusion he felt upon arriving at the compound. Things didn't seem normal. The atmosphere of the club was somehow off, even in the open air outside.

His long-time friend took a breath. He said, "That's why we've been trying to get ahold of you. It's the Mayans."

"What about them?"

Laxus saw the club's matriarch striding towards them with a purpose. Her tall heels clicked on the pavement in rapid succession. Gajeel followed his eyes and waited until Gemma met them.

"Gajeel, we've got a load of shit to sort out," she said with some concern. She looked both worried and pissed at the same time.

"Would somebody just fuckin' tell me what's goin' on?" her son roughly demanded. His frustration was steadily rising with each passing moment.

"The Mayans must have kicked up a huge stink about last night's trade to the rest of their club. Now Marshall's blaming Clay for the miscommunication."

Gajeel immediately narrowed his eyes, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. "A miscommunication? What the hell? They were the ones to stiff us the agreed upon price!"

Gemma shook her head. "You should know by now that trying to deal with them is always a bad idea. We were afraid something had happened to you when you didn't come home this morning."

Levy's face flashed before Gajeel's mind's eye. His stomach dropped to his feet when he realized. It was a serious issue when Gemma was worried. His typically grounded and stable mother was hardly ever anxious about him.

Should he be as well?

Laxus took a deep breath. "He's targeting Clay and his immediate family. That means you and Ma," he muttered, nodded towards Gajeel's mom.

It was what he had been afraid of. It had been in the back of his mind since Laxus had called with the undesirable results of the trade. Because he had been with Levy, he had been able to put it out of his thoughts. Now fear was free to creep back into his life.

"Oh, shit."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thank you for the reviews! I was not prepared for the onslaught of intense responses on tumblr. This was supposed to be just a small one-shot I had sitting in my computer for a while. But it blew up to more than that in a very short time. Thank you all who have read and replied - it has helped me in more ways than one.
> 
> -This chapter was hard to write. It fought me every step of the way. Hence the post about the redheaded stepchild.
> 
> Also. Please don't hate me for what you're about to read if you are a major SOA fan. I had forgotten about him and since I was mainly focused on Gajevy, I realized I should probably add him. I needed another character of this anyway.

 

 

Levy put her keys in her purse and checked to make sure the money envelop was still there from yesterday's bank visit. She glanced down at the child waiting beside her and held out her hand. "Come on, let's go."

With one hand clutching her stuffed horse to her chest, Melina took her mother's hand and the two of them strolled across the parking lot to the store for their weekly grocery trip. They passed an all-black motorcycle parked in the space near the front.

The afternoon sun was hot and it was a relief to step into the air-conditioned building. Sweat had accumulated and Levy could feel it under her clothing. It made her feel gross and sticky. She had to get the vehicle's AC running again. But that meant taking it to an auto shop and spending money she didn't have. She knew there was one that would do it for free, but then she'd have to go back to the club.

The thought began to make her anxious. She didn't want to be.

Pushing it out of her mind, Levy grabbed a shopping cart and put Melina in the basket so she didn't have to walk. Her list wasn't long. It was a get in and get out kind of day. The items at the top written in her rushed handwriting were things Melina needed, so they headed to those areas first.

"Cereal!" Melina cried, pointing to the colorful rows of boxes as they approached the aisle. Levy turned the cart into the aisle and frowned.

"Don't you want to eat something other than fruity pebbles?"

"No."

"Hot dogs?"

"No."

"What about spaghetti? You like noodles."

"Hmm," Melina hummed and then shook her head. She tossed the stuffed horse in the air and caught it. She smoothed down the furry mane.

She sighed.

Today wasn't a good day to try to persuade the young child into eating something else for a change. Maybe slipping in some fruit cups or some other lightly sweetened snack? Maybe Melina could be tricked into it somehow. However it happened, she'd have to think about it later.

The pair of them methodically made their way through. Levy hummed along with the country song playing on the store radio. All that was left was the produce by the registers. She wondered what Gajeel was doing. Where he was. From the phone call before he had left that night, it must have not been good news; he had seemed distracted when they cuddled before falling asleep.

It was another ten minutes before they made it to the last section. She parked the cart near a display of apples and began to look through the light green fruit pile for the ones she liked.

Part of her was glad she hadn't brought up the topic of dating again after she and Gajeel had gotten intimate. She wanted his mind clear, focused on her -and what could be- when she asked him if he would take her back. And then there was the morning. That had been bad timing as well. It was frustrating to try to get close to him, but she found she couldn't live without him now. How had she done that for two years?

Melina stretched her hand out to pick up a shiny red apple just outside the tip of her finger. The way she leaned, her foot came up and the balance threatened to dump her to the floor. Her stuffed horse dangled over the edge of the thick silver-wire cart along with her.

Levy was pulled out of her thoughts when Melina stood up in the basket and leaned towards the display.

"Melina, stop!" She cried.

She quickly grabbed the back of her daughter's shirt to keep her from falling out. Instinctively her hand tugged the girl backward and Melina fell into the basket, bouncing once as her bottom hit a few cans of soup.

"You can't do that!" Levy exclaimed in a hushed tone as she bent to face her child. Her heart beat wildly at what could have been a bad incident. If her nerves weren't already shot from the past days, they were now. "You could have fallen out and hurt yourself."

Tears formed in Melina's eyes as she rubbed her leg. "Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not mad at you. You just scared me, Melina."

Her daughter wiped her eye and looked around for her horse. It was on the floor. It must have fallen out when Levy pulled her back. She was about to round the cart to get it when someone beat her to it.

Levy automatically straightened to see who it was.

The hand belonged to a man. Tall, broad-shouldered, and blond. At first glance -aside from his hair color- the man reminded her of Gajeel. Even the vibe she got from him as he stood there looking at her reminded her a lot of her ex. Her guard was up in an instant.

There was a small, pleasant on his face as he looked from Levy to Melina. He held the stuffed toy out to her. "This belong to you?"

Melina wanted to take it from him, but she looked to her mother first. She knew it wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. Her mother nodded, and she took her toy back with a quick thank you.

The man turned his blue eyes towards Levy. He relaxed in an attempt to put the pretty woman at ease. In his arms were a few small items. "Didn't mean to scare ya," he said simply.

His eyes flickered to her left hand; there was no ring.

The bluenette couldn't decide if the man was a threat. Or from a club. Dressed in a navy blue hoodie, he wore no black cut like most members would wear out in public. His demeanor was calm and considerate. Laid back. No. Cocky. As if he knew nothing could touch him. Maybe he was an off-duty officer. Some of them acted as though they were above the law.

But then she knew most of the police officers who worked at the local department. This man standing before her she had never seen. She was unsure.

"Uh, it's ok," she replied, upbeat. She decided to be polite, as there were many in the store who could be witnesses if the man was trouble. With difficulty, she forced a neutral expression with a slight curve of her lips. "Thank you."

He could have ended with that. He could have let her go on her merry way without a backward glance. But he chose to stay planted in her way. "You lived in town long?"

The further question shocked her. She squeezed the plastic handle, wishing she had put Melina in the top seat instead of the basket with all of the items from her list. Her child was between them and she didn't like that. "W-why?" she stuttered.

"I recently moved into town. Don't know anybody," he said. A small sound escaped his mouth as it twisted in a small smile. He gestured to the space around him. "This is only my second trip here."

Levy tried to relax. It seemed that he was just being nice. He did, after all, pick up the toy. But there were a lot of wolves in sheep's clothing in the area because of the clubs. "It's a nice town. Everyone is friendly. There's a lot of help when you need it," she added. Her eyes dropped to her daughter.

The man nodded, noting that she didn't answer his question. He quickly glanced towards Melina before his gaze went back to the woman. Blue eyes discreetly scanned the way she filled out her jean shorts. There was no way that kid had come out of her, the young woman was slim and perfectly proportioned. His gaze traveled to her grey low-cut top and up to her layered cerulean locks pulled back with a yellow clip.

This unexpected pretty thing allured him.

Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, he took a step back, towards another fruit display. "Well, maybe I'll see you around."

"Yea," Levy lied, sweetly smiling until he turned.

The encounter shook her for some odd, unknown reason.

Though he was almost on the other side of the produce area, she wanted to leave. His presence had definitely made her uncomfortable. Listening to her gut in the past had saved her heartache. If it told her to be careful, she was going to heed.

"Can we go?" Melina's tiny voice cut in.

"Yes, sweetie. We can go."

She fought the urge to check over her shoulder, hoping never to see that man again.

* * *

Magnolia was a quiet town.

It wasn't exactly active and talkative. Its people were overly cautious. Maybe the location wasn't a good spot to lay down a club of his own. He had looked into Magnolia before he decided to check it out for himself. And he had liked what he saw. So much that he got a place of his own.

There was one small hitch.

A small charter already had run of the town, but as far as he could tell, they strived to live without trouble from the surrounding area's clubs. Club wars weren't likely to happen. The only way he and his eventual club would survive is if the others began to destroy each other.

They wouldn't find out about his own for a while, he mused. Especially given that there were only a few members at the moment. They were nomads, wanderers without a place to call "home". By choice or by force.

He guided the bike through the busy lot and parked it. It was a small grocery store. Just like the post office was small. And the hospital. And thankfully the police department.

Having started renting a place on the outskirts of town not much more than a week prior, Jax roughly knew the town's layout. He had yet to learn the side streets, but he could maneuver the main routes with ease.

Jax noticed that the civilians knew each other by sight as well as name. That could be of good use, but he had seen it fail and betray before. He'd have to play things out by ear and hope he found some information he could use to his advantage.

Knowledge was power. Power was knowledge.

Laying low, he sauntered through the store. It really was just for reconnaissance, but doing a mental list of things at home, he knew it would be stupid not to do some light shopping while he was there. It would also help him blend in a little better.

He tilted his head up to the high ceiling to read the aisle signs and found the toiletries. There he picked up some hand soap, a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner, and a razor. Looking at the rack, he was surprised to find that the most expensive razor was displayed in a plastic box. He shook his head. If someone was going to steal something, it had to be worth the jail time if one was caught.

A small razor was definitely not it.

Rounding the corner as he tried to find the checkout area, he glanced to his left. It was the produce section. He spied a tiny woman picking through the green apples. She had light blue hair and a shapely ass. More than enough to fit in one's hand, even he could tell from the distance. Her facial features were soft and attractive. She seemed young, in her early twenties. There was a small girl in the cart.

His lips lid up at one corner in an amused smile as he watched the girl observe the red apples next to the green ones. She reached her tiny hand out and then tried to climb the side of the metal basket to touch it. All of this and her pretty mother didn't notice.

He pursed his lips. He didn't want the girl to fall. Jax may have been nigh a felon, but he wasn't totally heartless. Should he say something? What if he frightened them both by accident as he attempted to be of assistance?

"Melina, stop!"

Jax relaxed a bit when he saw the situation was taken care of. The attractive little thing bent over to talk to her daughter, who was now seated in the cart. He fidgeted in place, knowing he needed to leave and pay for the items he intended to purchase. But eyes were glued to the seat of those shorts that was pointed at him.

Before he could stop himself, Jax found his feet had carried him the distance to them. Picking up the stuffed animal, he knew she was now aware of him. The woman's features were even more beautiful than he had first realized. His blue eyes darted to her hand. A light pink was painted on the nails and those long, slender finger also revealed something else. One in particular.

Her left ring finger was naked.

When asked directly, the blue-haired woman diverted into answering unasked questions.

That piqued Jax's interest. Because normally people assume whoever they meet in the daytime hours are going to be good people, in general. The townspeople were wary of local club members and knew to stay out of the way when they saw the black cuts. And though Jax did not wear one, this woman he had helped regarded him in alarm.

As though she was accustomed to a club and how it was run.

She was either a family member or fucking one of them. It was apparent she wasn't married; he knew men wanted their women marked in an effort to deter single males from wandering too close. If someone fucked the wrong woman -one without some symbol of a marriage bond- things could get ugly real fast.

Wars had been started and fought because of the fairer sex.

He was impressed with her intuition. Not only did she seem to 'guess' right about him, she was smart about it. Didn't hightail it out like some mule deer. The hot piece of ass actually stood her ground without making it own that she was alerted.

Jax could tell she was wanting to leave. The child was between them and of course, she would want to get the hell out. He bid her a good day and hoped to see her again. After a few seconds, he looked back at her as he kept walking.

Sexy and smart. She was definitely somebody he wanted to know. Personally.

* * *

Something didn't add up.

As he paced in front of the internal window acting as a barrier between himself and the rest of the building, Marshall frowned, deep in thought.

It wasn't right. The trade was supposed to be a quick, painless, and unobstructed deal. They had already planned it out, as the idea wasn't out of malice and it was for mutual gain on both sides, in more ways than one. It was akin to a peace treaty.

His charter was a larger one than that of the Sons. Clay had no reason to go back on his word, nor could Marshall see any reason the president would want to. The old man was all about profit. If there was none to be had, he wouldn't waste his time and the time of his men. That didn't mean he trusted him. It just meant that he understood him. How his mind functioned.

When he met with him, both had been a little on the fence about each other, given what had transpired. Marshall was inclined to believe his own over the word of an outsider. Though as he had listened to Clay, he realized something was wrong.

On his end.

Unlike him, the Sons' president had a family. That stepson and vice president of his had a young daughter and an old lady. And though it didn't matter to him, Marshall knew that family tried not to put other members of a blood relation in danger. Gajeel was supposed to have been there, but he was with his child and her mother, according to everyone in that club.

As he stood in the room where the Mayans did official business, he thought on all that had been said in both charters. He took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. What if he just took a quick look around? Nothing major, unless something major was found.

Because this recent deal-gone-bad was a shoe-in for a good relationship. There was no way in hell it could have happened without some shithead interfering. Since the whole thing was Clay's initial idea, Marshall felt the great need to be sure. To be right, and to ease his mind; there was a lot on it.

While most of his members were out, he slowly made his way through the halls that led to the back rooms that served as personal temporary sleeping quarters for the club members. All clubs had them in some ways or another, as space away from home life or other issues was essential.

He didn't know where to start. He knew he didn't fuck with it, as he had not been there. There had also been a lot of others accounted for during those nightly hours. That left the twelve that had gone.

Marshall's top lip curled in a grimace. A number greater than what was originally planned. What had his guys been thinking?

He started with the last room in the hall. With just a swift search around the room with his eyes, his feeling that someone was not telling him the whole truth grew. He didn't know why. His eyes landed on a picture of Luca with some of the others.

Luca had always been a spur of the moment kind of man. He constantly fought against rules and tried to undermine others. It was his personality. It got him into too much trouble. More than once he had had to be bailed out of jail.

Marshall's lip twisted again and he narrowed his eyes. He recalled a time where he had threatened Luca because of his antics. One more fuck up of extreme measures and they would have no choice but to force him to scrape off his club ink.

That or kill him.

Killing him would be letting him off easy. Scraping a tattoo was painful, a bad way to transfer out of a club. It was a dishonor that everyone would be able to see. One would never be able to tattoo the skin again. Especially he gave the order for the tattoo to be blocked in with black.

As much as he loved the man, Marshall had meant what he said; he would have to kick him out forever. He didn't have the heart to kill him as he could have easily done with any other of the newer members.

Luca's room was a little messy, clothing haphazardly thrown about. How did Luca ever find anything? Brown eyes flickered over the room to the wall beside the door. The desk was a little slanted away from the cedar paneling. It had been moved. How recently, Marshall didn't know.

Curiosity coupled with the dark thoughts brewing about his potential betraying club members, Marshall moved the desk further out into the room. A few random things had fallen down in between it and the wall, a pencil, a few cents. On the cedar panel, hidden under desk's surface, were embedded scratch marks.

His breath hitched when he realized there was a hidden compartment. He knew what those could look like, having made a few himself in his day. Quickly popping the panel out with his thumb in the indent carved into the wood, he removed it completely.

Peering into the shallow space within, he sucked in a breath at the same time that his heart sank. "That lying son of a bitch…"

A stack of bills two inches thick had been tossed in. The faces were intact, but the corners were folded over every which way and a few were torn. It was obvious the stack had been treated roughly and with no deference. From the years of experience with illegal dealing, he judged the amount from the size of the stack, and it had to have been at least twenty grand. The amount the Sons had been snubbed.

A deep rumbling growl echoed from his throat.

* * *

With a glance back at his parked bike, Gajeel made his way through the yard to the house. The darkening sky was turning a black navy and showed the barest greenish yellow line on the horizon. The heat had subsided and a cool gentle breeze was now in its place.

He wasn't sure exactly why he was in a good mood. The atmosphere maybe. The way the day had gone. He liked it. The past weeks had been rough.

They had met Marshall some days prior. He found that one of his members undercut them to keep the money for himself as well as sold some of the guns and mods under the table to make even more illegally gained cash.

Marshall had assured them that it was not his doing and that it would never again happen with any possible future deals. He gave back the money and then some to cover the cost of the mods already gone and sold.

Before the Mayan left the Sons' property, Clay had told Gajeel to keep the Sabers close and the Mayans even closer.

The kitchen light was on in Levy's house. He saw her facing the sink. A dish rack was on the left beside it filled with rinsed dishware. Not having blinds or curtains may be ok during the daylight, but at night she could be a show to any creeper.

Gajeel heard music playing in the house before he opened the front door. The smell of her familiar scented candles immediately comforted him. There was a kids movie on in the living room, but Melina was asleep on the area rug. Her pillow was propped up under half her body.

He quietly moved to the hall and rounded the corner. Levy had her hands in the soapy dishwater, singing along to the country song as she washed a plastic children's plate in the shape of a cartoon character. It wasn't his favorite type, but it was better than the rap music some of his club members liked.

His boots clicked on the hardwood. She gasped and sharply turned towards the sound.

Gajeel smiled and held up his hands. "Just me," he began.

"Ohh don't do that," Levy breathed. She returned her attention to the sink to wash a drinking glass with a contented smile.

He nonchalantly motioned towards the dark window behind her even though she couldn't see. "You should really get some blinds put in that window. I could see everything from outside."

"I know," she said. "The strings on the old one broke. I just haven't gotten another."

Gajeel stepped up to her and leaned his head over her shoulder. He could see down into her cleavage under the tank top. A large hand slipped into her back pocket laying flat against her. He murmured, "I don't want just anyone lookin' in at you."

She shivered at his breath on the side of her head. Her voice was low. "Then get me one."

He nodded in answer and then pointed at the sink. "How much ya got left?"

"Just a few more."

While she washed the remaining dishes, Levy snuck in a few glances at him. Her ex -or whatever he was now to her- was clearly in a good mood. The vibe was happy, upbeat. His red eyes were bright whenever she saw them. His mind was in a calm place.

"Gajeel," she said. She unplugged the drain and let the water run to clear out the dirty water. "Can I ask you something?"

"What?" He leaned his backside on the counter.

"W-what are we?"

He looked at her. His heart beat a little faster; that question was entirely unexpected. "What do you mean?"

"I-" she began, but found if she was to speak in that moment, she would just stutter. She took a breath, her eyes flickering to him. "I just don't know what we are."

"Exes, I do believe." His eyebrow rose. He hoped his voice didn't come across as rude. The last thing he wanted was to push her away. "Why?"

Levy dropped her gaze to push a strand of her hair behind her ear. Did he not feel what she felt? She fought the warm sensation tingling in her eyes. "Well, after that night, after you -we- put Melina to bed, and then the weeks since, I-"

Gajeel's felt his lips twitch. While she spoke, he watched the way her glossed lips moved and imagined them on his cock. It took him a second to realize it was a confession sweetly falling from those plump lips. She changed her mind. Being "exes" no longer held any appeal.

"Are you wanting to get back together?" He asked instead. He turned his body towards her.

"Yes."

He smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gajeel is in a club called Sons of Magnolia. He shares a child with his ex. She's against bringing Melina to the club as there are dangers being associated with it, but their romantic feelings for each other haven't changed. Gajeel soon gets caught up in a dispute between the club and a rival charter in an illegal gun trade, and the Sons prepare for a war where no one is safe.

 

**Sons of Magnolia [5]**

A sort of crossover of Sons of Anarchy and Fairy Tail

*Gajevy

*NSFW

*Not intended for younger users. Reader's discretion is advised.*

*May contain triggers. That whole show needs a trigger warning ha.

Summary:  _Gajeel is in a motorcycle club called Sons of Magnolia. Levy is his ex-girlfriend and together they share a young daughter. Levy is against bringing Melina to the club to see her father as there are many dangers being associated with it, but their romantic feelings for each other haven't changed. Gajeel soon gets caught up in a dispute between the club and a rival charter in an illegal gun trade, and the Sons prepare for a war where_ no one  _is safe._

 **AN:** This is a shorter chapter. I've had a lot going on lately and I had to reread my notes and previous chapters lol the rest will follow. Give it time. I have other fics to update as well.

 

* * *

 

Chapter 5

 

Levy blushed as she looked down. She tried not to sound silly. Now that she had said the words, she could only imagine what he was thinking as he stared at her. "I mean," she stated, crossing her arms over her breasts. "We don't have to if you don't want to. It's just something I've been feeling recently and-"

While she was still speaking, Gajeel pushed himself off the counter. His mouth made a slight tsking sound and he reached out to tightly grasp her hips. He roughly pulled her towards him with a jerk as he rasped, "Shut up."

The blunette's nervous rambling was silenced to a short, muffled hum against his mouth. Gajeel immediately sent his tongue in to push through her clamped lips, something he greatly hoped he would get to do with other parts of their bodies.

He couldn't believe what his ears had heard. Was she asking to get back together? Abruptly pulling his face away from hers, he gazed down at her.

His sudden actions had left her speechless, her eyes half-lidded as she lovingly touched his cheek with her fingers. The man wanted to strip her down and shove himself into her, or just to hold her until she fell asleep fully clothed in the bed next to him. His emotions were on an all-new high.

He was about to kiss those smiling lips, but Levy stopped him with her slim, painted fingertips to his mouth. "As much as I would like to, Melina is in the other room."

"She's asleep." His head tilted to the side as he swiftly gestured with it.

"I know that," Levy replied, turning to look at the stove's clock. "But it's almost 10 and she's going to my mom's in the morning. I still need to get her in her bed and then I need to take a shower."

The night was still young.

He loosened his hold on her, his arms feeling the loss of her body heat. Nodding once to her, he said, "You go shower. I'll do it."

Before she could say anything, Gajeel was already halfway to the other room. Her lips pursed. She suspected that he was only rushing them along to get her naked. But when she peered around the corner, those thoughts vanished.

He sat on the floor in front of the couch with -to her surprise- an awake Melina. She saw her father and a big, sleepy smile spread wider on her face. She rushed to him and threw her small arms around his neck.

"You're back!"

"Yes, darlin'," he said, his mouth curling upwards. "It's almost bedtime."

"No!" she whined.

"Your ma told me you're going to her grandma's tomorrow. She's got fun things planned for you." He tried to pry her arms off of him, but she had a bout of toddler strength.

Levy stifled a giggle at the sight. How many times had she wished to see the priceless picture now coming to life in her living room? Tears had stained her pillow countless nights while she continuously wondered if she had made the right decision for the two of them.

Gazing at the man her heart loved, she knew rekindling their relationship could be her healing.

She called softly to her clearly sleepy daughter, "Melina, it's time to go to bed. You can see your father tomorrow."

"Before Grandma's?!"

Gajeel stood up with a grunt, holding Melina to himself. She giggled when he moved, seeing the house from a higher perspective.

"Yea," he told her. He walked towards the hall. His tone was one he meant for Levy to understand as he strode past. "You'll see me in the morning for breakfast."

Levy's cheeks tinted red as she stared transfixed at the spot on the floor where he'd been seated. There was an intent in his voice, a camouflaged growl that expressed his need. Stopping them, Levy told her daughter good night and watched as Gajeel entered her little bedroom to tuck her into bed. With a contented sigh, she entered the bathroom.

Levy's bare toes were cold on the floor tiles after she peeled off her socks last, and she stepped on the soft rug. Her fingers stung in the warming water running from the faucet. She smiled, remembering the sights she had just witnessed. It was as if they were a family again. As much as she enjoyed Gajeel's body and general manliness, she wanted to be desired for everything she was. Not just what he could physically take.

He had already sampled that over three years prior and she had ended up pregnant. Though she knew from the way he was attentive to Melina that it wasn't the only thing on his mind.

With the water at her favored temperature, she stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain closed. She kept thinking there was something important she should be doing. Putting Melina to bed was her job. It had been since the day she was born. For a long time, Levy had had no helper aside from her mother. Now that Gajeel had stepped in for the night, there was a sort of relief, a window of time for her to focus on herself.

A thing she rarely was able to do.

The hot water rained on her overly-tense shoulder muscles, creating a relaxing tingle that ran from her neck down her spine. Standing there a few more minutes in the stream, she gave a relaxed sigh and began to shampoo her wet blue locks.

Not long after, the bathroom door slowly opened. Gajeel peered inside the room, his outstretched arm on the doorknob. He had made sure Melina was on the verge of sleep before leaving for their bedroom. A thick moisture in the air from the hot water hit him in the face, making it briefly hard to breathe. The mirror was beginning to fog over.

There was intermittent humming masked by the water's dull roar.

He didn't give it a second thought.

Stripping out of his clothing from the top down, he threw the materials to the floor in a pile in the corner, letting out part of a growl he'd long been holding back. Spying his tiny lover from behind as she rinsed the rest of the shampoo from her hair, he stepped in. He knew the cooler air would alert her to his presence, he quickly wrapped an arm around her waist.

A startled gasp sprang from Levy's lips, her feet slipping on the stall's slick bottom. A solid arm held her up. He bent his head close on the space under her ear, kissing the freshly washed skin. The warmer feeling of his lips on her sent chills down her arms, which he felt with his free hand.

With a small sigh, Levy laid her head back against his chest and closed her eyes once again. The new angle broke the contact of his mouth and left him with an unobstructed view of the front of her body. His hardened dick pressed against her lower back as he glanced down at her breasts. Ducking his head to kiss the side of her face, his fingers moved to the apex of her legs.

Levy breathed in and pushed against his rock-hard chest as his two middle fingers slowly drove up into her. The woman was about as wet in there already as the rest of her. She wiggled while he worked his fingers into a faster pace, squirming in his grasp and desperately clutching his forearms. Letting out a little string of whimpers, her legs widened for him and he greedily pushed in further.

Gajeel breathed heavily against her ear, a miniature groan barely perceptible with the flowing water near their heads. Her hips rolled back and she let out a loud whine in protest when he abruptly took his fingers out from deep within her slippery slit. Then he roughly squished her against the wall tiles and leaned himself onto her backside.

Small hands threw themselves on either side of her face to brace herself for his onslaught.

"Gajeel, not so rough..." Levy tried to sound firm, but the tone and the airy breathlessness of her voice was every indication of her high arousal. She looked over her shoulder as he squared up his narrow hips with her ass.

"I'm sorry," he said in her ear. His abdomen covered her lower back and the tip of his large erection poked into her lower lips. "Am I hurting you?"

He rocked forward, all but shoving his thick shaft into her. A pleased groan kissed her cheek.

"Ahh..!" Levy's eyes scrunched with the initial hard thrust before she immediately relaxed. A short moan escaped her parted lips when he did it again. And then again.

The shower water splashed to the stall bottom. A squishing sound was made each time their wet bodies smashed together, connected at the waist. With a forearm above her on the tiles for stability, Gajeel rocked his cock into his favorite pussy. He used his knee to spread her legs further to give his shaft more access into her juicy cavern. His other arm pulled her waist down against him while he vigorously humped her backside.

"Fuck mmm-" He growled and breathed out with a rush when she pushed herself back, wiggling a bit on his dick the moment he pitched. The next few minutes consisted of energetic and desperate plunging into tight, drenched depths until he abruptly stopped. His shaft buried itself as deep as it could get with his selfish need.

His body tensed as he came, his breath sucking in with a hiss. Resuming his earlier actions with less intensity, Gajeel knew he had to give her a release. His lips nibbled on her jaw below her ear. When she moaned, his tongue dragged up until he reached her ear and sucked the lobe between his lips, his teeth lightly baring down.

Levy pushed herself down on him as he shoved as far as he could into her. He pressed his fingers onto her clitoris, eliciting louder sounds coming from within the tiny woman. After a bit of time playing with the overly sensitized nub, he felt her get off along with an intake of breath and a short-lived groan. Her lips turned up at the corners in a smile, happy the man wanted to be with her in such ways.

She wasn't particularly self-conscious, but when he placed his hand on her stomach, it caused her an inner panic. Of course, he'd touched her all over just moments ago, but sex was a different kind of caress. Now… now she felt sick for hiding, for making it a secret, even though she had known for almost two months.

"Gajeel-" Levy said. She felt the change in her gut. Her cheeks warmed and a very unpleasant tingling occurred. The pit of her stomach lurched.

"Mm." He turned to her as he set the soap in the holder and stepped back into the running stream.

Levy did her best to keep herself calm; she could feel the bile rising. "Let me out, please."

He shifted -thinking nothing of it- and she immediately drew back the curtain and carefully stepped out. She barely had enough time to wrap her torso with a towel before she was bent over the toilet, a violent heaving ensuing.

She retched again, another violent round leaving her shaking. She spit out the last of the bile and flushed. A jerk against the curtain told her she had forgotten the pipes were connected. A moment later, Gajeel appeared standing on the opposite side of the shower head.

"Hey, the hell was that?" He snapped.

"Sorry…"

When he really looked at her, his annoyed expression melted away. He turned the water off and quickly dried off, still standing in tub. Levy was shaking, he could easily see that when she moved. Her hand was perched on her stomach, the other poised to open the toilet lid if needed.

"What's wrong?"

The bluenette took a deep breath through her nose and blew it out her mouth. She needed her phone -any clock- to check. What time was it? Was it close to 11? If so, then it was right on time. She was about to answer when she felt that queasiness tumble through her again.

Gajeel twisted his lips when he got an unobstructed view of her heaving the contents of her empty stomach into the toilet bowl. He looked away to save her dignity and stepped out around her to retrieve the fresh clothes he had stashed there the last time he stayed over.

"I'm fine, Gajeel," Levy squeaked. She glanced up and wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper. It felt like the sickness was gone for the time being.

"It doesn't look like it." He put his hands on his hips, but he turned to leave, knowing she wasn't going to say anything other than the overused line he heard often.

Levy quickly brushed her teeth and combed out her wet, tangled hair, glad that Gajeel had left her alone. She hadn't planned on telling him that she had a pretty good idea that she was pregnant. He had shown up unexpectedly and she had wished he would have let her know beforehand. If only for Melina's sake. It was difficult enough to try and skirt around adult things around a three-year-old, now he waltzes in like he owns their home.

Levy slowly wandered into the front rooms. She did a quick bit of picking up after Melina and turned off the tv. Slight nausea made her seek the antacids from the kitchen. She shook a few tablets into her hand and popped them into her mouth, shutting off the kitchen light in the process.

It was then that he found her, emerging from the bathroom with a minty fresh breath.

"Don't you need to head to bed? An early day tomorrow?" Gajeel asked, still looking at her. The heaving incident hadn't completely gone away from his mind. Slight concern settled on his features. The woman was hardly ever sick. When she was, she was tough as nails, going about her business like nothing was holding her back.

She hummed. "Mhm." The tablets crumbled in her mouth like chalk. She ignored his concern. How would she bring it up? It was later than she had originally wanted to head to bed, as Gajeel's presence threw the night off. "Is Melina alright?"

"Yea, I checked on her. She's asleep."

"Is her night light on? She gets scared in the middle of the night sometimes."

He nodded. "Yes, baby."

Levy took a breath and laid a hand on her stomach, grateful that the queasiness was subsiding. Quickly checking the lock on the front door and leaving on the lamp in the corner, she prepared herself for eventual sleep.

"Are you sure you're ok," Gajeel murmured as she walked into the bedroom. He was lying where he usually did when he slept over, half under the sheets. His eyes narrowed as he moved closer to her. She never acted this... delicate. Tonight she seemed off. As if cautious in her own normal, everyday surroundings.

He hoped it wasn't him.

Nodding, Levy managed a smile. Her mind was running a mile a minute. Should she tell him now? Or wait? But wait for what? Why was she so afraid? She had been afraid when she found out about Melina growing inside of her, and now she was even more so with this second child.

The club would make it hard for Gajeel to do both confidently, without him second guessing what his heart really wanted. Were they both perpetually trapped in their own bad decisions? Informing him now of a second child might hinder him. She knew nothing of the club's activities as of that moment.

She saw the skepticism on his face and let out a heavy sigh as she said his name, "Gajeel. I am fine. I promise. It's been an exhausting day."

The bed hardly sunk in when she slid in beside him. A sigh escaped her, the soft pillow on her face making it easy to feel the tension in her body disappear. She faced away from him, only wanting her mind to drift away.

"I love you." Gajeel pressed his lips to her shoulder.

Slightly aware of him, she tried to say it back, though it was never uttered. Sleep had already beckoned her.

* * *

The bar was dark. Not only in lighting, but in the current customers. It wasn't an establishment strictly for clubs -as a club would have its own personal one- but nomads would come incognito to have a drink or two in the safety of a public setting. They could blend in. And it was disturbing just how easily they did.

Luca sat around a corner table with two others that had escaped Marshall's wrath. They had witnessed their ex-club members kill the others for the misconduct of the gun trade. Those poor members were just doing what they were told, unfortunately from the wrong lips. It was supposed to serve as a warning, a reminder to Luca and the two Marshall spared not to fuck around with a club's investments.

All it did was allow the festering of sores.

He observed the other tables with unconcerned interest as he sipped at his beer, hoping to catch sight of other ex-club members. It wasn't too difficult to do. Few could pretend. And those who did were quickly found out. There was no bullshitting in a club. That kind of life never left anyone who had once been deeply involved. One either did or died.

There was a young blond in the back, drinking alone. His haunted blue eyes searched the dimly light place as he hunched over his short glass of golden liquor. There was an effortlessness in his demeanor. A devil may care attitude. An ashtray with a few dirty orange filters suggested he had been there a while.

He wore a dark blue checkered jacket on top of a black t-shirt. He looked like an average town citizen. Except for the tattooing creeping out of his collar and up the side of his neck. Combined with his intense eyes, there was no doubt this young man was up to something.

Luca tried to catch his attention in the least way possible. When he did manage to silently communicate with him, it was apparent the blond was not going to leave his chair anytime soon. Making sure the two with him stayed put, Luca rose from his seat and slowing made his way across the floor.

He stopped a foot away from the table. The beer in his hand, he motioned to an empty chair. He simply inquired, "Care if I sit?"

Jax briefly twisted his lips. He never moved from his hunched position, only his head tilted upwards. His eyes glanced down to the chair the man indicated before they snapped back up to him. "You worth my time?" He asked gruffly.

Luca produced a small rectangle patch with his name embroidered onto it. It was from his Mayan cut. He had saved the material before Marshall burned the traitors' black vests in disgrace. He threw it onto the table. "Maybe."

Taking a long look, Jax hummed to himself. He had half expected to find another who he could confidently bring into his fold in hopes to create his own club. He hadn't expected to find one from the biggest club in the area. It piqued his interest several degrees.

For the first time in several minutes, he unfurled his arms and leaned against the chair's back. The stiffness in his shoulders cracked a few times, the sound hidden by the music playing on the speakers. He focused on the patch on the wooden surface before him. It meant something. It also meant something to know that the man waiting for his answer had been kicked out of a club. The reasons had to be grave.

Club presidents were not usually so petty enough to disown one of their own. He would know.

He glanced towards the direction the newcomer had traveled. Blue eyes shifted. "Is there more of you?"

"Two," Luca replied. He wanted to take a sip of his beer but stopped himself. He wanted this more. "But I'm fairly sure I can scrounge up a few more."

Jax made a sound with his mouth. He then asked in more of a comment, "What's the name."

"Luca."

"Well, Luca." Jax smiled, showing his teeth. He lifted a hand to the chair in question. "Take a seat."

The man did so and relaxed enough to take a sip of the bottle in his grasp.

The blond continued. "A nomad originating from the Mayans I assume, at least that's what the patch says."

Luca nodded.

Jax stared expectantly at him. He was wanting to know what happened.

"Had a little trouble with the Sons. I thought Marshall was being too soft on the negotiations. So I took control of a trade and made the deal myself."

"You altered the deal."

Again Luca nodded.

Jax looked skeptical. "They blacked you out 'cause of that?"

Setting his beer bottle down, Luca pursed his lips. "I was blacked 'cause I made extra cash on top of an illegal trade. It wasn't disclosed to the entire club. I made a judgment call."

"A call that ended you clubless." Jax's eyebrow rose as he regarded him. Should he trust him?

Luca's eyes narrowed. "I'd do it again. Marshall is running that club like the flaccid dick at he is."

"The Mayans is the biggest club in this area. I've done my research. I need to know what I'm up against if I start my own," Jax said bluntly. He ignored Luca's reasonings; if it were to ever happen to him, he would not hesitate to kill him. He hated backstabbing bastards. And he told him just that.

"I understand," the man replied. He seemed hopeful. "A club is only as strong as its weakest member. That member is their president. Never mind how big it is."

The young blond considered all of the information he was given as he gazed at Luca. It was a risk either way, but he had to have numbers. A club was useless without reliable bodies to push agendas and willing to go beyond the boundaries of the law. These men prepared to join his ship were better than none. Though he was still wary of nomads. However one had to start somewhere.

"What do you and your boys know of the Sons?"


End file.
